Chapter 2

In the same way the name of the omniscient God emphasizes an assurance of knowledge or ignorance: daz weiz got unde ich; [[god and I know that]] Trist. 4151. den shatz weiz nu nieman wan (except) got unde mîn; [[no one knows now of the treasure except god and me]] Nib. 2308, 3. (11)This comfortable combination of I with God has for its counterpart the opprobrious one of a thou with devil, ch. XXXIII. Here too the got alone is enough: ingen vet min sorg utan gud; [[no-one knows my sorrow but god]] Svenska visor 2, 7. That we are fully justified in referring these modes of speech so far back as to the heathen time, is shown by a remarkable passage in Fornald. sög. 1, 380: ek hugða engan kunna nema mik ok Oðinn. By secrets which none can know save Oðinn and to whomsoever he has whispered them, his divinity is at once revealed, Sæm. 38, 95, Fornald. sög. 1, 487. Not quite parallel are phrases such as: daz geloube gote unde mir; [[that vowed to god and me (?)]] Amis 989. iu unde gote von himile klage ich unser leit; [[to you and god from heaven I lament of our sorrow]] Nib. 1889, 3. ik klage gode unde iu; [[I complain to god and you]] Richsteig landr. 11. 16. 37. sanc die messe beide got u. in; [[sang the mass to both god and him]] Parz. 378, 25. Wh. 289, 5. neic si im unde gote; [[be kind (?) to him and god]] Iw. 6013. Also in O. Fr., jel to pardoins de diu et de mi; Mones untersuch. 245. Sometimes the Evil One is named by the side of the Deity: got noch den tiuvel loben; [[to praise neither god nor the devil]] Iw. 1273. in beschirmet der tiuvel noch got; [[neither the devil nor god defends him]] Iw. 4635, i.e. no one protects him.

Poems of the Middle Ages attribute human passions to God; especially is He often pictured in a state of complacency and joy (see Suppl.), and again in the contrary state of wrath and vengeance. The former is favourable to the creation of eminent and happily endowed men; got was an einer suezen zuht, do'r Parzivâlen worhte (in amiable trim---form, training---when he made Percival); Parz. 148, 26. got der was vil senftes muotes, dô er geshuof sô reine ein wip; [[god he was of a very mild (?) mood, when he shaped so pure a woman]] MS. 1, 17. got der was in fröiden, dô er dich als ebene maz (so evenly meted); [[god in joy, when he meted thee so evenly]] MS. 1, 22. got in grossen freuden was, dô er dich schuof [[god was in great joy, when he shaped thee]] (i.e., created wine);  Altd. bl. 1, 413.  got der was in hôhem werde (12) do er geschuof die reinen fruht, wan ime was gar wol ze muote; [[god he was in high peace when he shaped the pure fruit, when he was very good of mood (?)]] MS. 1, 24. got si zer werlde brâhte, dô ze freuden stuont sin muot; [[god is brought to the world, when joy marvels his mood]] Wigal. 9282. got der was vil wol gemuot, dô er schuof sô reinem wibe tugent, wünne, schæne an libe; [[god he was very well mooded, when he shaped such a pure woman, virtuous, joyful, beautiful of body]] MS. 1, 201. got was gezierde milte, der si beide schuof nâch lobe; [[god was charitable of beauty, he (who) shaped them both near to praise]] Troj. 19922. got selb in rîchen freuden was, dô er ir lip als ebene maz; [[god himself was in great joy, when he measured her body so evenly]] Misc. 2, 186. ich weiz daz got in fröiden was, dô er niht, frouwe, an dir vergaz waz man ze lobe sol schouwen. [[I know that god was in joy, because he did not, lady, forget in you what man should see to praise]] Ls. 1, 35. So a troubadour sings: belha domna, de cor y entendia Dieus, quan formet vostre cors amoros; Rayn. 1, 117(13) It is an equally heathen sentiment, that imputes to God a propensity to gaze at human beauty, or to do whatever men do: got möhte selbe gerne sehen die selben juncfrouwen; [[god himself would fain see the same maidens]] Fragm. 22. gott möht in (him, i.e. the musician) gerne hæren in sinen himelkæren; [[god would fain hear him in his heaven-choir(?)]] Trist. 7649. den slac scolte got selbe haben gesehen ([[god himself ]] should have seen that stroke); Rol. 198, 18. Karl 72. got selbe möht ez gerne sehen; [[god himself would fain see it]] Trist. 6869. ein puneiz (diadem), daz in got selber möhte sehen; [[a diadem that god himself would (want to) see]] Frauend. 84, 16. gestriten dazz d'engel möhten hæren in den niun kæren; [[tumult that the angels might hear in the nine choirs]] Willeh. 230, 27. si möhte nâch betwingen mite (might nigh compel withal) eines engels dedanc, daz er vil lihte einen wanc durch si von himele tæte (fail from heaven for her); [[she might nigh compel withal an angel's thought, that he might, through doubt, fail from heaven for her]] Iw. 6500 (imitated by Ottocar 166). ich weiz daz wol, daz sin got nicht verdrüzze; [[I know that well, that his god was not unwilling (?)]] MS. 2, 127. ir hâr gelich dem golde, als ez got wünschen solde; [[her hair alike to gold, as god should wish it]] MS. 2, 62. sin swert dat geine (ging, went) an siner hant, dat got selve vrâchde mêre (would ask to know), we der ritter wêre? dey engele muosten lachen, dat hey is sus kunde machen; [[his sword that went to his hand, that god himself would ask to know, who the knight was? the angels must have laughed, that he(?) has made such a sign]] Haupts zeitschr. 3, 24. This hilarity of the attendant guardian-angels (ch. XXVIII) or valkürs must be thought of in connexion with the laughing of ghosts (ch. XXXI). In Hartmann's Erec, when Enite's white hands groomed (begiengen) a horse, it says 355: und wære, daz got hien erde rite, ich wæn, in genuocte da mite, ob er solhen marstaller hæte. [[and if it were, that god rode forth to earth, I ween, he would be satisfied with that, if he had such a hostler]] This view of a sympathizing, blithe and gracious god, is particularly expressed in the subst. huldi, O.N. hylli: Oðins hylli; Sæm. 47. Ullar hylli ok allra goða; Sæm. 45.

On the other hand, of the primitive sensuous representation of an angry avenging deity (see Suppl.), the most striking example will be treated of presently in ch. VIII, under Donar, thunder. (14)The idea recurs several times in the Edda and elsewhere: reiðr er þer Oðinn, reiðr er þer Asabragr; Sæm. 85. Oðinn ofreiðr; Sæm. 228. reið varð þâ Freyja oc fnasaði; Sæm 71.----she was wroth, and snorted or panted, as the angry wolf in Reinh. XLII spirtles out his beard. guðin reið ordin; Fornm. sög. 2, 29. 231. goða gremi (deorum ira) is announced; Egilss. 352. at gremia goð (offendere deos); Fornald. sög. 2, 69.

was imo god âbolgan; [[god was angered towards him]] Hel. 157, 19. than wirdid iu waldand gram, mahtig môdag; [[then the ruler (i.e. god) becomes angry to you, mighty, proud]] Hel. 41, 16 (elsewhere: diu Sælde, [[the saviour]] or the world, earth, is gram [[angry]]). ein zornec got in daz gebôt (bade them), daz uns hie suohten mit ir her; [[an angry god bade them, that we searched here with her army (? or people?)]] Parz. 43, 28. hie ist geschehen gotes râche; [[here has god's vengeance happened]] Reinh. 975. got wil vervüeren sinen zorn; [[god will carry out his anger]] Osw. 717. ich wæne daz got ræche da selbe sinen anden (wreak his vengeance); [[I ween that god wreaks the same (i.e. vengeance) on his enemies]] Gudr. 845, 4. daz riuwe got! (God rue it); Trist. 12131. daz ez got immer riuwe! [[that god always rue it!]] Trist. 11704. The Lex Bajuv. 6, 2, in forbidding Sunday labour, says: quia talis causa vitanda est, quae Deum ad iracundiam provocat, et exinde flagellamur in frugibus et penuriam patimur. How coarse were the expressions still used in the 17th century! "An abuse that putteth God on his mettle, and maketh him to hold strict and pitiless inquisition, that verily he shall, for saving of his honour, smite thereinto with his fists"; and again: "to run upon the spears of an offended jealous God".(15)A wicked man was in the Mid. Ages called gote leide, loathed by God. One form of imprecation was to consign a man to God's hatred: ûz in gotes haz! [[god's hate out to him!]] Trist. 5449. ûz strichet (sheer off) balde in gotes haz! Trist. [[god's hate strike him off soon!]] 14579. nu vart den gotes haz alsom ein bæswiht von mir hin! [[god's hate now fares forthwith from me to a villain!]] Frauend. 109, 12. mich hât der gotes haz bestanden; [[god's hate has ripened me]] Kl. 518. iuch hât rehte gotes haz (al. foul weather, the devil, &c) daher gesendet beide; [[from you directly has god's hate sent both]] Iw. 6104. sô müeze ich haben gotes haz; [[thus must I have god's hate]] Altd. w. 3, 212. varet hen an godes haz! [[fare you from here in god's hate!]] Wiggert 2, 47. nu mueze er gewinnen gotes haz; [[now must he gain god's hate]] Roth 611. In like manner the MLG. godsat hebbe! [[have god's hate!]] Huyd. op St. 2, 350. Reinaert 3196. (16) But, what deserves particular notice, this formula 'in gotes haz,' [[in god's hate]] or in acc. without prepos. 'gotes haz varn, strichen' [[god's hate fare, strike]] has a perfect parallel in another which substitutes for God the sun, and so heightens the heathenish colouring; ir sult farn der sunnen haz! [[to her should fare the sun's hate!]] Parz. 247, 26. var der sunnen haz! [[fare the sun's hate]] Unprinted poems of Rüediger 46. hebe dich der sunnen haz! [[sun's hate lift thee!]] Er. 93. nu ziuhe in von mir der sunnen haz! [[now show him from me the sun's hate!]] Helmbr. 1799. si hiezen in strichen in der sunnen haz; [[she bids him be struck in the sun's hate]] Eracl. 1100. hiez in der sunnen haz hin varn; [[bids the sun's hate to fare there to him]] Frauend. 375, 26. A man so cursed does not deserve to have the sun shine on him kindly. The Vandal Gizerich steps into his ship, and leaves it to the winds where they shall drive it to, or among what people he shall fall that God is angry with, ef ouj o qeoj yrkgistai. Procop. de bello Vand. 1, 5.



ENDNOTES:

12. The Gothic gavairthi = peace.  (back)

13. To the creative God rejoicing in his work, the MHG. poets, especially attribute diligence and zeal: an den henden lac der gotes fliz; [[on the hands lay the diligence of god]] Parz. 88, 15. jach, er trüege den gotes flîs; [[yes(?) he carried the diligence of god]] Parz. 140, 5. got het sinen fliz gar ze wunsche wol an si geleit: [[got had conveyed his diligence entirely (according) to a wish well unto them]] Wigal. 4130. ich waen got selbe worhte dich mit sîner gotlicher hant; [[I ween god himself wrought thee with his godly hand]] Wigal. 9723. zwáre got der hât geleit sîne kunst und sine kraft, sînen flîz und sîne meisterschaft an disen loblîchen lip; [[in truth(?) god he hath conveyed his art and his strength, his diligence and his mastery upon this praiseworthy body]] Iw. 1685. So in Chrestien: ja la fist Dex de sa main nue, por nature fere muser, tout le mont i porroit user, s'ele la voloit contrefere, que ja nen porroit a chief trere; no Dex, s'il sen voloit pener, mi porroit, ce cuit, assener, que ja une telle feist, por peine que il i meist (see Suppl.).  (back)

14. Piacula iræ deûm, Liv. 22, 9. deos iratos habeam! dii immortales hominibus irasci et succensere consueverunt, Cic. pro Rosc. 16. And Tacitus on this very subject of the Germans: propitiine an irati dii, Germ. 5. ira dei, Hist. 4, 26. infensi Batavis dii, Hist. 5, 25. And in the Mid. Ages: tu odium Dei omniumque sanctorum habeas! Vita Meinwerci, cap. 13 § 95. crebrescentibus jam jamque cottidie Dei justo judicio in populo diversis calamitatibus et flagellis........quid esset in quo Deus offensus esset, vel quibus placari posset operibus; Pertz 2, 547.  (back)

15. Hartmann on benedictions, Nürnb. 1680, p. 158, 180.  (back)

16. Serious illness or distress is habitually called 'der gotes slac,' stroke.  (back)